Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added Tom Crabtree this offseason, they did so in hopes that he would be able to take a step forward and prove he’s ready for a bigger role in an offense lacking a true number one tight end. Crabtree was just one of many potential targets in the Green Bay, and now finds himself in Tampa Bay where the competition is perceived to be less steep. And while it may just be an act of goodwill towards the team that’s giving him a chance to earn a bigger role in the offense, Crabtree things that the competition in Tampa Bay is just as fierce. In fact, he went so far as to compare the talent to that of the Green Bay Packers.

Pewter Report’s Mark Cook quoted Crabtree as having said the following about his new teammates:

“Man, I’ll tell you what – being here for a month, some of the best, just gifted athletes I’ve been around. Some really talented guys. That’s not taking anything away from Green Bay. They’ve obviously had talented guys, as well. But coming here there’s been no dropoff as far as the athleticism and the talent of guys.”

Crabtree may be a bit biased towards the team who offered him a contract versus the team that neglected to offer him a restricted free agent tender, but he may also be on to something. Are the Buccaneers as talented as the Packers? Let’s quickly go position by position and see if the Bucs’ newest tight end has a point.

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Quarterback: This one is easy. No matter how you feel about Josh Freeman, you can’t say he’s better than Aaron Rodgers. Advantage, Green Bay.

Running Back: This one is just as easy. Doug Martin is miles ahead of anyone in Green Bay. Advantage, Tampa Bay.

Wide Receiver: The Packers lost Greg Jennings, but still have Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and James Jones. The Buccaneers counter with Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, and a mix of players competing for the third wide receiver job. Nelson is injury prone, and Cobb and Jones may be producing over their talent level thanks to a great quarterback, but the fact that the Packers roll three deep here means they have the slight advantage. Slight Advantage, Green Bay.

Tight End: I’m not a big fan of Jermichael Finley‘s talent, but the Buccaneers have nothing to stand out as better than him, so Advantage, Green Bay.

Offensive Line: The Buccaneers have this one in the bag once everyone gets healthy. The Packers have a couple of solid linemen, but the Buccaneers have some of the best in the business. Advantage, Tampa Bay.

Defensive Line/Pass Rush: These teams run different systems, so this is tougher to judge. So I’ve included Clay Matthews in this group to give a more level playing field, and because of that, Green Bay comes out ahead. Advantage, Green Bay.

Linebacker: With the way I have broken out the teams, Clay Matthews is a part of the pass rush section listed above. That means that Lavonte David is the best linebacker left between the two teams, and Mason Foster is good enough to give the Buccaneers a slight edge here, along with the potential that Jonathan Casillas brings. Slight Advantage, Tampa Bay.

Secondary: The Packers lost Charles Woodson, and the Bucs lost Ronde Barber. That’s where the similarities end. The Bucs are clearly better at this position, with Dashon Goldson and Darrelle Revis dwarfing anyone the Pack have to offer. Advantage, Tampa Bay.

Special Teams: Mason Crosby used to be a pretty reliable guy, but fell off last season. Connor Barth has been reliable. As for the punters, Tim Masthay and Michael Koenen aren’t that much different, but a slight edge goes to Masthay. On kickoffs, the Buccaneers were the best in the business at kicking for touchbacks, and Green Bay was below average. But Green Bay’s return game was much better than the Bucs. This section is a Push.

So in other words, there is no clear favorite here, when we break the teams down in the most simple of fashions. Obviously, there is a wider margin between the talent at some of these positions (Quarterback and Pass Rush come to mind.), but as a whole, the Buccaneers line up well against Crabtree’s former team.

What do you think, Bucs fans? Do our guys have a chance to be better than the Packers? Or is Crabtree crazy? Comment below and let us know.

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the bulk of the offseason has really wrapped up, and we have a better feeling as of who’ll be where, Vegas has released a host of gambling lines on the 2013 season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are projected to be a middle of the road team by all accounts, but if you are like me and think they’ll be a contender, we have a chance to make some money. I’m here to show you how.

(Editor’s note: Please gamble responsibly, and follow any applicable laws that affect gambling in your area. The advice in this article is not guaranteed to make you any money, as good as Ken may be!)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently set at 7.5 wins. But there is a slight caveat to that number as the over pays -140 and the under pays +120.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

For those of you who aren’t everyday sports gamblers, that means you would have to bet $140 to win $100 on the over, and only have to bet $100 to win $120 on the under. In other words, the line is set at 7.5 but the house has a feeling it’s more likely to be a little bit higher.

My initial thought when the schedule came out was to say 8 to 9 was the likely range. Based on the rest of the offseason since the schedule release (namely the Revis trade), my conviction toward 9 became a little bitter stronger.

I’d place some money (and I’m going to) on the over. 8 wins would kind of be a disaster the way I see it right now. 8-8 is simply not good enough and heads would likely roll if this were the outcome. And that still qualifies as over for this betting line. Anything less, I don’t even want to think about.

Let’s move on to the division. The Buccaneers are set at 5/1 to win the division ranking them third behind the Falcons (Even money) and the Saints (2/1), just ahead of Carolina (11/2). My gut tells me the Saints are the pick here, as much as I want to throw up all over my keyboard writing that. But I wouldn’t bet them at 2/1. All four teams have a great shot at winning this division, and the way the South usually goes, it’s almost always a surprise.

I’m gonna lay some money down on both the Bucs and the Panthers. $10 pays me $50 on Tampa Bay and pays me $55 on Carolina. That’s a net winnings of at least $40, and I get half the division. Maybe it’s just me, but I have the South as an incredibly tough division, and all four teams face difficult out of division schedules. Wouldn’t say I truly believe Carolina or Tampa Bay will finish atop the division, just saying it’s the right bet.

How bout bigger and better things? Our Bucs are currently sitting at 20/1 to win the NFC Championship. I hate this bet, and I’ll tell you why. It has nothing to do with the Buccaneers actual chances to win the conference, because I think they are better than 20/1. But why bet 20/1 to win the NFC Championship, when you can get 40/1 for the Bucs to hoist the Lombardi Trophy? 20 extra dollars on every dollar I bet to win just 1 more game? Sign me up.

So here’s how you play it, or at least how I would. Put $10 down on the Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers. That way, if it happens, you are taking $400 to the local bank. But now let’s take a little risk out of it. Let’s say the Bucs squeak in as a 6 seed, they’ll probably be underdogs by a couple of points in the opening round. Put $10 on the Bucs losing, and you’ll probably collect about $5-7 profit. Bucs lose, you bet $3-5 to win $400 (because you got back some of your original outlay). Bucs win, we’re still in the mix here. Divisional round, drop $20 against  your dearly beloved. Bucs lose, you recoup the $10 we lost last round, and cut into our initial investment, but if the Bucs win, we’re just two away from those big 4 bills.

Now we’re into the NFC Championship. You’re out $30 from hedging your bets to get us this far. At this point, you gotta keep pressing it. Put another $40 down against Tampa Bay. Now, if the heartbreak of 1999 comes back again, you’re up overall thanks to betting against the Bucs. If not, we’re headed to New York and you’ve got $330 ($400-40-20-10) riding on the big game. Finally the day is here, now’s the best time, put $100 on the Broncos, Texans, Patriots, or whoever the opponent may be. Bucs win, you get your $400, plus your original $10 back and you lost $10, $20, $40, and $100, putting you at a net total of $260 winnings. Plenty to buy some Super Bowl XLVII gear. But if disaster strikes and the Buccaneers fall in the ultimate game, you’ve still broken out even or better (+$100 on Super Bowl, -$40 NFC Ship, -$20 Div Round, -$10 Wild Card, -$10 Bucs to win XLVII).

So there you have it. It’s as sure-fire of a betting scenario you can make, provided the Buccaneers make the playoffs. Why doesn’t everyone do this? I’m sure I’ll be here to explain it come February. But as of right now, if you’re eager for some football and have some money to spend, go ahead and show some faith in your Buccaneers and drop some money on them to win it all.

Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Under Raheem Morris, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up the title “Youngry” thanks to their young roster full of marginal players who would occasionally play over their heads. At this point, “Youngry” seems like a distant memory of a time most Buccaneer fans would rather forget, but the Buccaneers’ current roster isn’t much different from how it was a few years ago.

ESPN.com’s Mike Sando did the hard work of going through NFL rosters, and ranked them by the average age of the starters on offense and defense. And at a quick glance, one would assume the Buccaneers have a pretty young roster.

Gary Gibson is 31, and Donald Penn joins Vincent Jackson as the only non-special teams players that are 30 years old. Everyone else on the roster is 29 or younger, with a ton of players at 23 and 24 years old. Because of this, the Buccaneers rank 23rd in starter’s age overall in the NFL, and 27th on defense specifically. But this group of younger players does not lack in experience.

Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Freeman is the perfect example, as the 25 year-old is entering his fifth season in the NFL. He has experienced a winning season, and multiple losing seasons, and is reaching the point where he can say he has “seen it all” in the NFL. Similarly experienced is Jonathan Casillas, as he is only 25 and has the same years of experience as Freeman.

Furthermore, the Buccaneers have plenty of players in the prime of their careers. Dashon Goldson and Darrelle Revis are both All-Pro caliber players who are in the sweet spot for athletes, both short of 30 and both entering their 7th seasons in the NFL. Considering that they’re both a part of a defense that ranks near the bottom in average age of starters, they’ll be called upon as leaders, and they have the skill and confidence to lead by example.

New additions like Derek Landri and Brian Leonard are veterans who will play key roles in the rotation at their respective positions. Landri is one of the older players on the team, and has experience filling in on the defensive line and making a big impact. Leonard has been a career backup, filling an unheralded role on offense of providing reliable support for the rushing game when called upon, and contributing as a pass catcher as well.

The Buccaneers may not have savvy veterans like Tony Gonzalez, Drew Brees, or Steve Smith on their roster, but when opening day rolls around, the Bucs will have a young roster with potential to exceed expectations. But potential is a dangerous thing in the NFL, and Greg Schiano and his staff will have to work hard to get the most out of this young squad of Buccaneers.